Joint for flumes.



M. W. WILLIAMS.

IOINT FOR FLUMES.

APPLlCATlON FILED JAN. 13, 1916.

1,190,350. Patented July 11, 1916 INVENTOR sra'rns PATENT onrrcn.

MAURICE W. WILLIAMS, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO WHEELING COBRUGATING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

JOI1\TT FOR FLUMES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 11, 1916,

Application filed January 13, 1916. Serial No. 71,868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I MAURICE W. WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Wheeling, county of Ohio, and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Joints for Flumes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to flumes composed of sheet metal, and more particularly to a joint for such fiumes. v

The primary object of the invention is to provide a joint between the transversely disposed metal sheets or sections of a flume structure, which allows for expansion and contraction of the sections without subjecting said sections to undue strains.

A further object is to provide a joint structure which requires that gradual or sine curves or bends, without abrupt angles, be formed in the sheets, thus avoiding the injury to the sheets through the breaking and peeling of the metallic coating'which is incident to the formation of sharp bends or abrupt angles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive joint for flume sections, the construction of which is such that it affords a three point support for the juxtaposed edges of the sections.

With these and other objects in'view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to'the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a portion of a: flume embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the joint; and Figs. 3, 4:, 5 and 6 are similar sections illustrating modified forms of joints.

Referring specifically to Figs. 1 and 2 of said drawings, A indicates a channel bar or member which constitutes a rest or support for the juxtaposed or meeting edges of the sheet-metal flume sections. As shown in said figures, which illustrate a preferred form of my invention, said channel member A is constituted by a heavy wrought iron bar which is rolled into substantially U- shape, having a flat base portion 1, outwardly and upwardly inclined side walls 2, and laterally directed substantially horizonftal edge orwing portions 3. Said member 11s; preferably of substantially even thickness throughout, and each of the wing portions 3; with the adjacent side wall 2 and base 1, viewed in cross section, describes a regular compound curve of but slight sweep.

The meeting edges of the sheets B and C ofthe flume are dished into trough shape, the trough of the sheet B being designed to receive snugly therein the trough portion of the sheet 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Compound curves are described in the formation of said trough'portions, but the curvatures of said portions are somewhat more abrupt than is that of the channel member A. Consequently, open spaces 4 are afforded between the side walls of said trough portions and the adjacent side walls 2 of said channel member, said open spaces being designed to allow the curves to unobstructedly straighten out slightlyu'nder the stress imposed thereon by contraction of the sheets;

Seated within the trough portion of the sheet C and conformably engaging the bottom of said trough is a nest bar D having aflat top surface which lies flush with the top or inside surface of the flume sections. The side surfaces of said nest bar D have compound curvatures the curves of. which are somewhat more abrupt than are those of the trough portion of sheet C, there being thus affordedopen spaces 5 between the upper side walls-of said trough portion and said nest bar, said open spaces being designed to permit the body porti'ons of the sheets B and C to spring inward slightly with respect to said nest bar under the forces exerted by expansion of said sheets.

In the modified forms shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, the channel member has its bottom portion bowed upward somewhat along a median line, forming a rib a. In Figs. 3 and 6 the meeting ends of the sheets do not overlap, but are disposed to form butt joints, the. trough portions of said sheets being seated on the base portion of Said member at opposite sides of the median rib a of said member. The nest bar D has its under surface shaped to conformably seat in the trough portions of said sheets, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, for holding the latter in place. In Fig. 8, the extreme edges of the trough portions are upturned or upwardly inclined, while in Fig. 6 said edges are disposed in a common horizontal plane. In Fig. 5 the extreme edge portions of the sheets are arcuately curved and are disposed in seated overlapping relation with the lowermost edge portion resting upon the median rib a.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 4, the channel member A corresponds with that of Fig. 1. One sheet, as C has its edge portion 0 resting upon the flat base portion of said channel member and terminating slightly over a median line extending through the latter. The opposite sheet B has its edge Z) shaped to slightly overlap the flat edge portion 0 while an adjacent portion rests upon said base portion of said channel member back of said edge 0. The under surface of the nest bar D is shaped to conformably seat upon the edge 6 and the exposed portion of the edge 0.

In each of the various forms depicted the channel member, the curved edges of the sheets and the side surfaces of the nest bar are so curved relatively that open spaces 41 and 5 are provided for allowing unobstructed expansion and contraction of the sheets. Further, in each of said forms, the bottom of the channel bar forms a rest or support for the adjacent curved or trough-like edges of the flume sheets, while the substantially horizontal wing portions 3 of the channel bar form rests or seats for the lateral uncurved portions of the sheets, said wing portions having their top surfaces disposed in the plane of the under surfaces of said sheets. Due to the provision of this lastmentioned support, the weight of water carried by the flume cannot cause sagging or distortion of the sheets at points adjacent to their curved edgesthat is, at points where such distortion would be liable to result in breaking or cracking the coating carried by the sheets. It will further be noted in this connection that each joint affords a three point support for the sheets, one at the bottom of the channel bar and one at each of the wing portions of said bar.

The open spaces 5 may be filled with a suitable pliable material, as mineral rubber or the like, for preventing water from entering therein.

It will of course be understood that the invention is susceptible of various further modifications within the scope of the appended claims, each form of the invention embodying a channel bar and a nest bar, the relative curvatures of which are such that lateral open spaces are formed at opposite sides of the nest bar, said spaces being gradually widened from the bottom portions of said members to the topmost surfaces of the latter.

What is claimed is 1. A joint for flumes comprising a channel bar devoid of abrupt angles and adapted to receive in the channel thereof the adjacent edge portions of fiume sections, and a nest bar adapted to overlie the portions of said sections which seat within said channel, the said bars having their adjacent side surfaces relatively disposed to form upwardly and outwardly inclined open spaces therebetween which gradually increase in width from their lower ends upward, said channel bar having its sides terminated by laterally directed wings which directly underlie and constitute seats for plane surfaces of said sections.

2. In a fiume, the combination with adjacent sheet-metal flume sections having their adjacent edges bent into compound curve form and devoid of abrupt angles, of a channel bar disposed in supporting relation to said edges, and a nest bar seated in overlying relation to said edges and maintaining the latter in interlocked relation to said channel bar, said channel bar having side walls of compound curve form wherein the curves have greater sweep than those of said edges for forming intervening clearance spaces, said side walls having lateral terminal flanges constituting rests for uncurved portions of said sections, and said nest bar having its side surfaces s0 disposed relative to said edges as to form intervening clearance spaces.

3. In a flume, the combination with adjacent sheet-metal flume sections having their adjacent edges regularly curved, of a channel bar adapted to receive said. edges in closely seated relation in the channel thereof, said channel. bar being devoid of abrupt angles and having inclined side walls terminated by laterally directed wings, said wings constituting seats upon which rest the plain surfaces of said sections at points adjacent to said edges and upon which said sections are slidable under the forces exerted by expansion and contraction, and a nest bar for seating upon said edges for maintaining the latter in position, the adjacent side surfaces of said bars being spaced away from said edges to form intervening clearance spaces for permitting free expansion and contraction of said sections.

4. In a flume, the combination with adjacent sheet-metal flume sections having their adjacent edges regularly curved, of a channel bar disposed in underlying supporting relation to said edges, said channel bar having inclined side walls terminating by laterally directed wings which constitute rests for uncurved portions of said sections, In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature and a nest bar seated upon said edges for in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. maintaining the seated relation between the M AURIOE W WILLIAMS latter and said channel bar, said bars being relatively disposed to aiford clearance spaces Witnesses: therebetween at opposite sides of said nest H. E. DUNLAP, bar. v W. FRANK KEEPER.

Books of thll patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

